McD's Fries - Dana

[Guest guest]

You're right, Dana. After I sent this I thought I should have added people

on this list- parents and grandparents who are searching desperately for

ways to help their child make it in this world. I know there are many

people who aren't smart enough, or reflective enough, or compassionate

enough to understand the difference in their child. I've seen this too and

I've always tried to make others understand, but I doubt I ever really do.

One of my children has the kind of social problems that brings anger and

hateful reactions to him. And of course, it breaks my heart. It is

sometimes difficult for me to understand that a parent can react without

love and compassion for their child. But.. so many people are just so

ignorant. I have in-laws who have several children with AS-like

characteristics. I've had many discussions and arguments over the way they

approach the behaviors, and they simply do not understand. It's as though I

were speaking a different language. Why would a parent choose to believe

their child would deliberately cause others to turn away from them? It has

to be ignorance, and inflexibility to a parenting style.

I want you to know your letter has left tears in my eyes since I read it. I

saw in your experiences my child.

I can only hope that my child turns out as well as you seem to have.

Thank you,

Lolita

>On this listserv, maybe most people do not see their child as lesser.

> But on other listservs and message boards, they do. People

>frequently post about how much they hate how their child

>inconveniences them, how much they would love to have never had their

>child in the first place, how much they can't wait until they can

>place their child in a residential setting. Sometimes the words are

>not this strong, sometimes they are. It happens. There are people

>out there who would treat their child badly for being different. Here

>is one example from just today. This one child's story here, when I

>read it this morning, made me cry more than my story does when I type

>it for others.